Flowers for Boss
by Snowdream56
Summary: Little Romano expects a normal day after his boss comes home from Austria's. Gift fic for Karuka Ikashi


Romano didn't like it whenever Spain went to go visit Austria.

It wasn't that he was desperate for Spain's attentions or some absurd notion like that. He knew why Spain had to go visit that other part of the Hapsburg Empire so often - and that it frequently wasn't to simply to chat and drink tea (or wine) and listen to some music for a while. The young personification of South Italy respected that his caretaker usually had important business to take care of with Austria that couldn't– or maybe did and Spain was simply being overprotective, the tomato-bastard never mentioned this sort of thing to him – involve him. Besides, the child-like nation had his own "important" things Spain assigned him to do while he was away, aside from Romano wanting to take the time to do a bit of his own trading. Things like cleaning and cooking and learning the tomato-bastard's awful language - though Romano never did any of these things as well as he was supposed to. For one he really was inept at them and hated them just as much he kept telling his "boss" and secondly… secondly, he feared Spain wouldn't give him nearly as much attention when he came home if he got good at any of those things, leaving him lonely. Secretly, Romano could admit that getting so much attention and some affection had grown on him a little since he'd come to live with the Iberian nation – but only a very tiny bit. Spain only took care of him because he had to, it didn't warrant Romano returning any amount of affection.

Regardless of what Romano did and thought during the times Spain was gone, the tomato-bastard initially coming home from Austria's wasn't ever the most pleasant thing for Southern Italy, Kingdom of Naples.

Nearly every time, the Spaniard's first few words out of his mouth – after greeting Romano and making sure all was taken care of concerning the young nation and the household – were about Veneziano.

Damn Veneziano.

He was practically the golden boy of the Mediterranean, in the opinion of most of the nations that Veneziano encountered.

The little brother of Romano whose very name often caused his sibling to cringe upon hearing it.

"Guess what Veneziano did while I was at Austria's!" Spain would exclaim with enthusiasm. "Oh, he was so cute! Look at this drawing he made of a rabbit, isn't it adorable! Oh- Austria was remarking how he's gotten so good at cleaning and cooking and trade – maybe you can see if your brother will help you out a little, Romano!"

It made Romano feel ill by the end of it.

One day, knowing Spain was due to be home sometime that afternoon, Romano took his leave. He went into a nearby field, filled with flowers of a large variety of shapes and colors. Muttering about stupid Spain and his even more idiotic younger brother, he wandered through the plants, picking a few here and there that caught his interest. Before he fully realized what he'd been doing, he'd gathered a large bouquet. For a moment, he stared at the flowers gathered in his hand, wondering what to do with them.

Deciding to simply keep them with him for the time being, he walked over to a nearby tree and sat down. He fiddled the flowers he'd gathered for a moment, arranging them into a pattern that looked interesting. Eventually though, he grew tired and drifted off against the tree.

It didn't seem long before Spain found him, Romano awakening to the soft crunches of grass. This wasn't surprising to Romano – it seemed the Iberian nation always managed to find him wherever he went. Even when the child wanted to be alone, he had no luck in ever being able to get away from Spain for long. He frowned and glared as his caretaker took a seat next to him, ruffling his hair affectionately and saying, "There you are, Romano! I was wondering where you went! What are you doing all the way out here?" in an annoyingly cheerful tone.

Romano didn't answer him, pouting at his misfortune and looking pointedly away from Spain.

"What's this you've got?" Spain continued on, taking notice of the flowers in Romano's hands.

"N-nothing, you jerk. Go away," Romano muttered, a blush rising to his cheeks. Spain, predictably, ignored him.

"Did you plan to give these to Belgium?" the Spaniard asked, a smile in his voice. Romano shook his head in reply. "Oh! Did you maybe want to give these to me, then?" was Spain's next guess. Romano hesitated at the idea - blushing a little more as he thought, since this might be one of the few things he could do to put himself more on the forefront of Spain's mind in a good way. However, before he could really say a reply to the question he found himself in his caretaker's arms, being squeezed tightly against the man's chest. "Awww, you're so cute, Romanito! What a perfect thing to come home to after seeing Austria and Veneziano! Thank you!"

"I'm not cute, dammit! And these aren't for you, you bastard!" Romano bit out, head-butting Spain and quickly running back home once he was out of the man's arms. The flowers were left abandoned on the ground next to his caretaker.

Over the next few days, Spain said nothing more about the issue, although he put the flowers from before in a vase next to his bed so he could look at them before he went to sleep. He knew his irritable young henchman well by now – knew that if he pressed the subject of the flowers he'd get nothing more out of Romano other than a demand to shut up and not talk about it. However, like a proud parent he did want to say something to someone badly about what Romano did, and can't help but brag to whoever he can without the child nation knowing he's done so.

Just three days later, Spain woke up by Romano for breakfast in the way he normally was made to get up if he happened to sleep in - with his charge jumping on his stomach until he sat up. The morning seemed normal enough for the Iberian nation until he saw a cup filled with flowers sitting innocently on the corner of the dining room table. Romano didn't say a word about them – and Spain didn't question them – but he Spain knew just how the flowers came to be there, with the thought putting a warm smile on his face. For the rest of the day, he made sure to not let the young nation shirk from his duties because of the act, although in thanks Spain decided to make Romano's favorite dish for dinner.

It was when Romano thought he isn't looking that he caught the child staring at the vase with a soft smile of his own on his face, although this smile disappeared the moment Spain turned around. It was obvious to him how Romano did this to please him, and how on knowing his plan worked his henchman's outlook on life had gotten a little brighter.

At that moment, Spain felt no other desire other than to make Romano's newfound light in the darkness burn brightly for as long as he could make it, even if he didn't quite know how.


End file.
